Trouble Notes

Hi, I recently picked up the Bassoon and I have been playing it for 9 months and the strange thing is my D note on the scale always cracks making it sound like it tries to go up an octave. Is there some way I can control the note so it doesn`t crack? Thanks in advance.

What D ? Low, Middle or High?

If the note is cracking on attack, mabye you must think about get a middle-hard reed.
You must practice on your tonging technique. Cracking notes are a common problem. I had the same problem with the middle C, and now, with open A, B, and Bb. :-(

Often when your notes automatically jump up an octave, you simply need to get a harder reed, OR, decrease the air pressure slightly, and make sure that your embouchure is soft and relaxed.

I often keep a couple of softer reeds on hand so that I can purposely do what you are doing. It`s called harmonics, and it`s interesting when you learn how to do it. I can finger a low D below the staff and depending on my embouchure I can play that low D, then change a bit and play the next D up, and then an A above that, then the next D, then the higher F, and sometimes an A even above that, but it is a bit harder to do the A.

My playing became tens times better when I learned that you should never have to be using any lip pressure, if you are using lip pressure, you need a different reed. That`s another thing to remember,

Alex

Oh ok I see...see I have a Medium Hard and it cracks not as much but, it still cracks on D, and Bb still -_- thanks tho ^_^

I actually meant middle D sorry about that

"My playing became tens times better when I learned that you should never have to be using any lip pressure, if you are using lip pressure, you need a different reed. That`s another thing to remember,"

=O dang i suck. hahaha. geee. hahaha.

btw, is it a problem is my Eb (on the staff) sounds a little quieter than all my other notes? is that common? and do i have to adapt to make all my Eb`s as loud as my other notes?

Hey Chrono,

make sure that your fingers are completely covering all necessary holes properly when you land on your D just in case there`s a bit of the hole that`s not covered properly and yes, keep relaxed!

and Jay - middle Eb can be helped with a combination of different fingerings. I regularly use three depending on the context of what you`re playing and how you approach the note ie. If it`s very quick finger work, then i use the basic Eb fingering. If it`s an Eb in a quiet passage then i have another and if i need an Eb that is slightly sharper or flatter i`ve got fingerings for those two as well. it`s basically a different combination of right hand fingers - try adding and taking away different fingers on the right hand with your normal Eb fingering and hear what difference it makes.

Have a look at :
http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/bassoon/
which has a few alternatives
or:
http://www.people.vcu.edu/%7Ebhammel/main/bassoon/fingers/chart.html#
or another one in even more detail :
http://www.idrs.org/BSNFING/FINGHOME.HTM